


Alphas Need Not Apply

by Ryoko21



Series: Alphas and Omegas [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: A/B/O Biology, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Enemas, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Medical Procedures, Not Really A Happy Ending, Omega Clint Barton, Omega Phil Coulson, Omega Steve Rogers, Omega Tony Stark, Sex Toys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-03-07
Packaged: 2018-03-04 23:42:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3096914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryoko21/pseuds/Ryoko21
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Captain America is going into heat in the next 48 hours. He’s got no plan, no support, and no idea how to handle a lone-heat since the invention of synthesized alpha hormones. And you and I, as his fellow omegas, are going to help him through it.”</p><p>A story about omegas wrestling for control of their biology.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Phil sighs. It’s a long suffering sigh. It is a sigh that would make most recruits give him a wide berth. He’d stopped off at the Avengers Tower on his way to SHIELD for the sole purpose of corralling the pilot of Iron Man into helping him with Steve. Now, he’s having second thoughts. Finally, he forces himself to knock on the door to Tony’s lab, to request that JARVIS turn the music off, and to pull Tony out from under the hulking mass of metal he’s been working on.

                “Captain America is going into heat in the next 48 hours. He’s got no plan, no support, and no idea how to handle a lone-heat since the invention of synthesized alpha hormones. And you and I, as his fellow omegas, are going to help him through it.”

                Tony blinks in confusion, clutching his wrench to his chest like a security blanket. It takes him a couple minutes to ask, “Steve’s an omega?”

                It isn’t weird not to know a person’s dynamic, not since the invention of the practically universally used scent-cancelling soap. It’s considered bad taste to ask someone’s secondary gender, and people that worked closely together for years might never know that their boss or their manager was actually an alpha or omega. It became illegal to ask or publish any gender information in a work setting in the ‘60s, and tasteless before that. So, barring a pregnancy, it was impossible to tell an alpha from a beta or an omega in the workplace (although primary genders were pretty obvious, and came with their own set of problems).

Outside of work, close friends and relatives would know a secondary gender and were instrumental in setting up relationships. Some clubs allowed people entrance without the scent dampening soaps, but they usually asked participants to wear masks or required participants to sign non-disclosure agreements. Beyond that, people just had to guess and hope their dynamics matched up. There was more than one story out there of alphas bringing home what they thought to be a pleasant omega, only to find another alpha under the sheets. It wasn’t as big of a deal as it might have been in previous generations. Sometimes they said an awkward goodbye, and sometimes they figured it out and continued with their night. Same-dynamic couples weren’t as uncommon as they used to be, and many of them even settled into permanent relationships.

                “Yes, he is. He hasn’t said anything, and it’s probably because omegas faced a lot of discrimination in the 40s. Someone obviously introduced him to scent-dampeners, and I never thought to ask about his relationship status. Honestly, Steve looks so much like an alpha that it’s never come up. Which was my mistake, so now you and I are going to deal with the fallout.”

                Tony doesn’t miss a beat, just grins and says, “Kinky.”

                Phil rolls his eyes. It’s the most mature response he can manage.

                “I’m serious, Stark. Steve’s going into his first heat since he defrosted. He’s the team leader and everyone assumes that he’s an alpha, but he’s an omega. Medical tried to give him suppressants, but he bolted after they failed. I don’t want to see him jump on the first knot he finds when his heat hits, so you and I are going to try to help him before that happens.”

                Tony looks serious, and Phil offers word of thanks to whatever deity helped get Tony’s attention.

                “You clear this with Pep?” Tony asks, and wipes his hands on a dirty towel as he extracts himself from his mess. Phil nods.

                “She gave you permission for whatever you need to do. She says she loves you and she’ll be home late.”

                Pepper is Tony’s alpha. She’s one of the very rare, very few female alphas, who have only been identified in the last decade because of genetic testing that can isolate the alpha gene in an individual’s DNA. Prior to that, female alphas were considered to be confused or aggressive female betas. Pepper and Tony had been instrumental in getting the rights of female alphas acknowledged, as well was contributing to the science that had proven their existence.

                “What about Clint?”

                “Clint and I… have an understanding,” Phil says quietly. It’s true, Phil would have much preferred to help Steve with the assistance of his own omega lover. But Clint is on a black-out mission and could be back tonight or three months from now, and Phil doesn’t have that kind of time. Clint and Phil are both registered as Omega-Emergency-Aids. Phil has been trained to help fellow omegas in heat-related emergencies. Although neither he nor Clint have been active since they joined the Avengers, Phil knows that Clint won’t be mad at him for assisting one of their own. Actually, he’d probably be pissed if Phil didn’t help, if he left Steve to fend for himself.

                “Sounds square, then,” Tony comments. “You talk to Steve?”

                “No,” Phil replies. “I’d rather do it together.”

                More like, “I really don’t want to do this by myself.” Phil likes Steve, but he can’t really reconcile the awkward, confused soldier that he knows with the super-hero he looked up to as a child. He’s not sure what he’ll do if Steve mocks them or refuses to listen. He just knows that it’s important that he tries, that he makes sure Steve knows that he isn’t alone.

                “Kay. Is Steve still at SHIELD? Give me twenty minutes to shower and head over. I’ll meet you in the conference room. JARVIS? Can you call and ask Steve to meet us there?”

                When Tony has stalked out of the room, Phil says, “Jarvis? Tell Steve to meet us in the conference room in an hour, please.”

Phil is glad for the time. He had gone to the Tower not knowing if Tony would agree, not knowing if he would have to drag the other omega by his heels. But he didn’t have much of a plan short of, “Get Tony, talk to Steve.” He’d like time to come up with something better.

                Ten minutes later, when he walks calmly into the conference room at SHIELD, Phil still has nothing. And his mind is still blank when Tony stumbles into the conference room forty-five minutes later, with his hair still dripping wet. Phil hopes it means that he’s taking this seriously, but he knows it might also mean that Tony took a detour through something on the ship that got him messy again, and had to wash up a second time in their decontamination showers. It’s been known to happen before.

                “Where’s Steve?” Tony asks immediately.

                “Not here yet. I wanted a minute to brief you, so we both know what we’re to tell Steve.”

                “What’s there to know? I mean, can’t we just hand him a pamphlet or something? Like, ‘Your Biology and You’ or whatever?”

                Phil sighs again, and wishes fervently that his own lover was going to be back for this. Or anyone, really, other than the temperamental Stark heir.

                “Tony, Steve has been frozen since the ‘40s. The modern vibrator didn’t become common until the ‘70s, so it’s extremely unlikely that Steve ever encountered one. Not to mention the fact that synthetic alpha hormones were invented in the ‘70s as well. Did you know that it was still considered allowable to take any omega in heat against their will up until the 60s? That if they didn’t have an alpha to take care of them, they were considered consenting to anyone that stumbled on them? That, in fact, it was considered the alpha’s obligation to knot an omega until the heat was over?”

                Tony goes green in the face. It doesn’t really surprise him – he’d taken Omega History, he knew treatment of omegas hadn’t been great until the new century. But knowing it and knowing someone who went through it was different.

Besides that, Tony had faced his own discrimination. He’d always kept his dynamic a carefully hidden secret because, in the eyes of the public, it was still inappropriate for an omega to be in a position of power. There were no legal ramifications, not anymore, but the public could lose faith in his company. Tony’s second gender wasn’t even on his medical records, and his father had been one of the biggest proponents for allowing people to hide their dynamic. Very few people knew that Tony was an omega, and of those people about half had tried to use it against him. Luckily, with clever lawyers and amazing technology, he’d been able to keep that information away from the general public.

                “So what do you want to do?” Tony asks, more subdued now.

                “I just want to offer to help him, to make sure he knows that he has options besides finding another alpha or suffering alone. That, if he wants it, one or the other of us, or both, will help him through it. Agreed?”

                Tony huffs, but nods. Tony and Steve aren’t terribly close. They’re both part of the Avengers, and Steve lives in Stark Tower with the rest of the team, but they don’t know each other terribly well. Despite what the press likes to portray, they aren’t roommates. They have their own floors, and Steve spends most of his time at SHIELD while Tony pretty much keeps to his lab or Stark Industries unless they’re on a mission. They see more of each other at publicity stunts and missions than anything else. Still, most of their initial animosity has faded with time, and the two are cordial if not particularly close.

By comparison, Phil sees Steve a lot more than Tony. As a fellow SHIELD agent, Phil works with Steve often on the helicarrier. Steve and Clint practice together, which Phil usually oversees. He’s even handled a few missions for Steve individually, as well as several missions for the Avengers. While Phil wouldn’t say he saw Steve on a daily basis, he definitely sees the soldier several times a week if neither of them are on a mission. Phil likes to think that they’re just a bit more than coworkers. Friendly, although not quite to the point of friends yet. Phil hopes, between himself and Stark, one of them can convince Steve to see reason.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! So, I promised one chapter a month (I think) and this one's a little early. :) This story's a little weird - sort of outside-the-box for an alpha/omega fiction, so I hope it comes across well. Please leave me reviews, I'd really appreciate knowing what everybody's thinking. The sex is gonna happen close to the end of the fic, so I hope everybody's okay for a bit of a ride. Thanks! Enjoy!

               Steve enters moments later.

                He… doesn’t look happy. Whether it’s the ramping-up hormones or just the reminder that his pack has been dead for years, Steve is flushed and agitated. He’s still in the scrubs from medical, green cotton pants and a matching green top. He’s wearing his old sneakers from the SHIELD gym. That’s what happens when you sneak out of medical while the nurse’s back is turned, Phil thinks. Steve storms into the conference room and takes a position on the other side, putting the table between himself and the other two men.

                “Jarvis said you wanted to see me,” he says, and his voice is carefully free of inflection. Phil steps in first, to keep Tony from pissing Steve off.

                “Medical informed me that you have an approaching heat.”

                Steve looks even more livid, the color rising to his face.

                “I wasn’t aware that my heat was any of your business,” he says coldly, like he’s keeping his temper in check by the force of his will.

                “As the Avengers handler, medical requested that I check on you and make sure you were prepared for your heat. They said your body burned through the suppressants, which were your first choice, and that you left before they could give you any other options.”

                “I don’t need any other options,” Steve snarls. “I will be fine on my own. Thank you for your concern.”

                Phil and Tony exchange a look, uncertain of how to proceed. It’s obvious that Steve doesn’t want to continue the discussion, and neither wants to pressure him. On the other hand, they’re both pretty sure Steve’s plan is to suffer alone, and neither of them wants him to go through that.

                “Steve…” Phil begins, but Steve actually growls at them. He’s gripping the back of one of the chairs hard enough to crack the plastic.

                “I’m trying to politely tell you to fuck off. Thanks, but I’ve been an omega all my life, and I can handle my own heats. I’m not going to jump on the first knot that offers.”

                “Okay,” Phil backpedals, and actually raises his hands in a gesture of surrender. “We just wanted to make sure you had a plan. Can I ask what you plan to do?”

                “I plan,” Steve snarls, “to stay in my room until this is over. I don’t need a fucking alpha and I certainly don’t want a knot from either of you!”

                “Wait, what?” Tony interrupts. “Time out! Did you just imply that we’re both alphas?”

                Now Steve looks confused. Phil lets out a relieved breath.

                “Steve,” Phil calls, and is grateful to see Steve turn toward him. “Tony and I are both omegas. That’s why we’re here. We aren’t… We aren’t trying to seduce you. We just want to help.”

                “But… You’re with Clint,” Steve accuses. “Clint’s an omega. I know, because he went into heat on that mission last month.”

                Clint had gotten hit with some kind of chemical spray that had kick started his heat. Steve had gotten hit with the same spray, and although it hadn’t affected him at the time, it was possible that it was what had triggered his heat now.

                “Yes, Clint is an omega. He is also my lover.”

                “Oh,” Steve says. “So… do you two share an alpha? We had that… in the 40s, there were a couple of people…”

                “Sometimes,” Phil replies for the sake of honesty. He doesn’t want to make it that simple, but he also doesn’t want to lie to Steve. “We share Natasha, sometimes. Most of the time, though, it’s just the two of us. Natasha is a female alpha, by the way, like Pepper.”

                “Pepper is a…” Steve says, and gives Tony a startled look. “I didn’t think…”

                “Science proved the existence of female alphas a couple years ago,” Tony quips. “Keep up, Cap.”

                “Sorry,” he says, and all the anger drains out of him. His shoulders slump, and he leans against the table, like there’s nothing left now that the anger has bled out of him. “I didn’t know. It’s… Nobody has a damn scent anymore and I just…”

                Phil hadn’t anticipated this. The invention of scent-cancelling soap had been miraculous for omegas. Gender-discrimination had ended nearly overnight, at least in public. It had been the biggest scientific advancement of the century. Phil hadn’t anticipated that, without the use of his nose to sort out omegas and alphas, Steve would feel attacked from all sides.

                “Would you like to sit down?” Phil asks, and stands to grab Steve a bottle of water from the minifridge. Steve is sweating, and Phil knows that it’s easy to get dehydrated even in the early stages. Phil hands Steve the bottle and he takes it gratefully, downing most of the bottle in a single drink.

                “What…” he asks, and pauses, trying to come up with the right words. “What did you have in mind?” he asks, and Phil can tell that he’s being purposefully tactful, but he thinks he sees a glimmer of hope in Steve’s eyes as well.

                “It’s pretty standard practice these days,” Phil says, and tries to make his tone as comforting as possible without patronizing him. Steve isn’t stupid. He’s just… lost. “Usually when an omega is in college or around that age, they’ll go through their first couple heats. Sometimes they want an alpha, and that’s fine, and there’s ways to find them one even if they don’t want a permanent relationship.” Steve tenses at this information, and it’s clear he’s uncomfortable with that idea. “If not, there are groups of other, somewhat older omegas that can help through a lone heat. A lot of omegas suppress after the first few, but they have to be regular for that to happen, so we have support groups that help when that’s not an option.”

                “Help… how?” Steve asks, still wary.

                “It depends,” Phil says cautiously. “A lot of it is just checking in, making sure the omega has food and water, making sure they are alright and giving them some interaction. We also educate on different methods of controlling the heat, which I’d like to explain to you later, when I can demonstrate the items and give you more options.” Phil pauses here, to let Steve take the information in, then bullies ahead. “If that’s all you want, that’s fine. However, we can also help you with your heat from a sexual aspect. It’s sometimes necessary if you start losing control or if you get too fatigued. But you don’t have to decide now. I just wanted to put those options out there.”

                Steve can’t look at him, and Phil feels a little worried, but when he speaks his voice is next to breaking. He says, “I think… I think that’d be pretty swell,” and it sounds like he could cry.

                “Jeeze, you aren’t a weepy omega, are you?” Tony asks. Phil wants to growl, but Steve laughs.

                “No,” Steve says, “At least, I don’t think so. I’ve only had one heat by myself since the serum, before that I was too sick for them to be more than a fever. After the serum, I was always with… well, with my alpha.”

                And Phil doesn’t ask who the alpha was, he can hear the pain in Steve’s voice. Instead, he asks, “What about the one you had alone?”

                Steve shudders, and stares at his empty water bottle like it’s a crystal ball.

                “It was… It was bad. It was long and… bad. I was… It was before I got frozen, after I lost… my alpha. I was… in a bad place. I managed to hide, but I didn’t bother to take any supplies. If I hadn’t had the serum, I probably would have died.” He pauses, and Phil can tell that he’s recalling whatever horrors he faced. Mourning heats are what they call it when an omega goes into heat after the loss of a bonded alpha. There’s some disagreement if this is supposed to lure the missing alpha back or lure a replacement alpha in. Either way, omegas without support have been known to go mad. Mourning heats can last for weeks.

                “I figured that my apartment in the Tower couldn’t be any worse than that,” Steve continues. “I mean, I thought it was probably secure enough, and it has running water and I can always order food. If it didn’t seem… safe,” he says, and it’s obvious that he means safe from alphas trying to get at him, “I figured I could borrow the hulk-proof room and wait it out.”

                “Yeah, so, that’s a terrible plan,” Tony tells him. “We’re definitely not doing that.”

                Steve nods in agreement, and it’s the same kind of nod a soldier gives when they’ve been rescued, when they’d go anywhere if it’s not here. Phil isn’t happy that Steve was in that state of mind… but he’s happy enough to be the rescue for him.

                “We should move this to the tower,” Phil says. “It’ll be more comfortable. And private.”

                “I’ll snag pizza,” Tony offers, and he’s already tapping buttons on his phone. “Three cheese, right?” he asks. It’s Steve’s favorite. Steve nods and rises hesitantly, but Tony is already walking out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

                “I still can’t believe he’s an omega.”

                “Not a delicate bone in that body, huh?” Phil chuckles. “You’ll let go of the some of the stereotyping. It hasn’t gotten better, now that so few people reveal their dynamic. There’s always some pop star coming out as an omega, only to come out as an alpha a month later and a god-knows-what the month after that. It’s weird, now that no one knows who actually is an omega, the stereotype has gotten worse, but no one really cares if you fit it or not.”

                “So… If the three of us are all omegas… can I ask what everyone else is?” Steve wonders. Phil folds his arms and relaxes.

                “You can ask. It’s generally taboo to tell someone’s dynamic without their permission, but everyone on the team is okay with it. You only got overlooked because… well…”

“I look like an alpha,” Steve says, and it’s obvious that he’s fine about it. “I know. It’s how it was back in the 40’s too. Everybody just thought I was an alpha, so even though I didn’t scent…”

                “I’m sorry, you didn’t scent?”

                “No. Not since the serum. I guess whatever changed me into… this also made it so I don’t smell like anything.”

                “So you don’t use scent-cancelling soap?”

                “Well, I use it,” Steve chuckles. “I mean, it’s pretty hard to find anything that doesn’t cancel out scent now. But I don’t have to.”

                “Hm,” Phil says, and lets the idea settle that Steve has been hiding his gender most of his life.

                “So… about the team?” Steve prompts.

                “Oh, right. So, most close-knit teams like this eventually reveal to each other their dynamics. You already know that Clint’s an omega, and now you know that Tony and I are as well. Natasha and Pepper are both female alphas. Bruce was a beta before the hulk, and now he considers himself null. It means, basically, that he doesn’t produce a scent and he doesn’t react to omegas in heat or alphas in rut. He has assured me that he is still capable of sex, though, so I don’t think it’s something he’s interested in fixing,” Phil pauses, because that was an interesting conversation. Phil can still remember how Bruce blushed and babbled his way through it, barely making coherent sense over his own embarrassment. “And Thor, well. Thor actually laughed when I tried to explain our gender dynamics. He said something like, ‘You pitiful mortals. If you haven’t the right reproductive organs, you should just change them and be content.’ A later discussion led me to believe that Asguardians are both sexes, alpha and omega, and they can choose which one they want to be at any given time.”

                “So… all this time that I was worried about handling a group of alphas, and there’s not a single alpha in the bunch?”

                “Nat would be pretty insulted to hear you say that,” Phil cautions. Natasha doesn’t like to be overlooked or underestimated as an alpha.

                “Sorry.”

                “I don’t think it’s as surprising as you’d think,” Phil assures. “If this new millennia has taught us anything, it’s that stereotypes are rarely accurate and never give the whole picture. Statistically, there may be less omegas in combat situations, but that doesn’t mean they don’t take risks.” Phil sighs. How to boil down the entirety of alpha-omega psychology and social standards into a two-sentence lecture? Instead, he goes for, “The Avengers are a team of extraordinary people. It might be pure coincidence that it’s mainly omegas. Or maybe there wasn’t a place for extraordinary omegas, so you’ve all found your way to each other. The fact is, it doesn’t matter how you came together. What does matter is that you’re an amazing team, and you are an amazing leader. Being an omega is a part of you, but it doesn’t define you.”

                They are silent for a moment, and Phil doesn’t try to fill it. He knows how much Steve has to take in, how much of the past must be warring with the present that Steve has to deal with. After a moment, Phil says softly, “I need to get some things from medical and my office. Would you like to meet me at the car? I’ll give you a ride to the Tower.”

                Steve nods, and seems relieved to have a moment to himself. Phil is a little worried that Steve might still decide to hide from them, but there’s nothing he can do about that possibility. Steve isn’t a prisoner, he’s a fully capable adult. If he wants to suffer through his heat in a cave somewhere instead of in the luxury of the Tower with his teammates who care about him- well, it’s upsetting, but he has the right to do so.

                Phil’s relieved to find Steve already in the car when he gets there, and even happier to see that he’s catching a quick nap. Phil doesn’t try to stay quiet when he approaches the car, instead jangling his keys before opening the door. (He hadn’t locked it. Anyone stupid enough to steal a car out of the SHIELD parking lot deserves what they get. It hasn’t ever been a problem.) He’s borrowed a backpack from Clint’s locker, and he slips it into the back seat before climbing in. Steve opens an eye and looks at him as Phil gets in and starts the ignition, but then leans back and goes back to sleep. Phil smiles and drives them to the Tower.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review! I'd really like some feedback. Not sure if this fic is going where I was hoping.

 

                An hour later finds them in the Tower common room. Steve’s staring at the empty pizza box in front of him. Tony is chewing on a piece of three-meat pizza, and Phil is nibbling on a breadstick and watching Steve. Phil is really not sure what’s happening with Steve. He’s hoping that these hormones won’t last all week.

                “Somethin the matter there buddy?” Tony asks when he realizes that all the attention has turned to Steve. Steve blushes.

                “It’s just… did I really just eat that entire pizza by myself?”

                Omegas tend to eat more in the last few days prior to heat. Steve’s super-soldier metabolism is off the charts normally, and it’s likely to be doubled during his ramp-up phase. Tony and Phil exchange a look, because neither is surprised by how much Steve has eaten.

                “Don’t sweat it,” Tony shrugs. “Nobody else likes the three-cheese anyway. Besides, I bought two of them.”

                Steve blushes. Phil smiles and hands him the second pizza.

                “It’s normal for an omega to be hungry before heat, Steve.”

                “The least we can do is feed you,” Tony puts in. Steve doesn’t look terribly convinced, but he accepts the pizza anyway. Phil thinks this is probably as good a time as any to start this amazingly awkward and personal conversation.

                “So, I know you said you don’t want an alpha,” Phil begins, “and I fully respect that. However, I want you to have all the options, and with that in mind I need to explain to you the Alpha-Match program.”

                Phil has a catalogue for the program. It’s about as thick and heavy as a magazine, printed on the same shiny paper. Inside are photos of smiling alphas, followed by their relevant information including age, disposition, and experience level. Phil’s made sure to grab a catalogue that only features experienced alphas who have been in the program for more than three years. He’s got no idea how Steve would react to an alpha, and the best he can do to keep them both safe is to make sure the alpha isn’t going to panic or try to dominate Steve. Phil’s taken the liberty of highlighting several alphas who have experience with soldiers and PTSD.

                Steve takes the booklet, holding it gingerly. His eyes scan the pages quickly, and a look of revulsion comes over his face when he finally comprehends what they’re for.

                “I know it looks…” Phil tries, but Steve cuts him off.

                “Like cattle?” Steve growls.

                “What?”

                “When I was a teen, I spent a summer in Texas helping on a cattle ranch and sending money back home to my mom. They had the same thing, only you got to pick out which bull you wanted to come breed with your cow. Is this… Why would anyone…?”

                “It’s not for breeding,” Phil tries to assure him, but Phil knows it’s pretty much already over. If Steve didn’t seem to like the idea of having an alpha before, this has in no way made it more appealing. “You’ll both be on birth-control, it’s very close to 100% effective now. This is just…”

                “It’s like prostitution,” Tony puts in helpfully, and has the opposite effect. “Only it’s legal.”

                “It’s not like prostitution!” Phil defends. “It’s completely voluntary and the participants only get paid for their time. They are medically trained professionals. It’s just so…”

                “That you don’t have to go it alone,” Steve finishes. He looks a little less horrified as he places the magazine on the table. “I get it. Most omegas had an alpha in the ‘40s or they knew someone they could ask, so this… service was never needed. I can see how it might be different now, when nobody knows what you are. But… I’d still rather go it alone.”

                “And that’s fine,” Phil is quick to assure. “That’s your choice. I just wanted you to have the option.”

                “So… is that it?”

                “No, of course not. If we’ve ruled out an alpha, suppressants are usually our next option. Most omegas can suppress their heats for about five years before they need to go off and restabilize their hormones. Unfortunately, your super-serum chewed through the strongest suppressants we have available in less than 20 minutes. Medical was impressed.”

                “Great,” Steve quips. Phil continues undaunted.

                “Without those options, you’ll have to experience your heat. However, we can still help you minimize the symptoms of your heat.”

                “How would we do that?” Steve says, and it’s clear that he’s wary.

                “The first thing we want to do is get some synthesized alpha hormones into your bloodstream. The least invasive way to do that is through a hormone patch,” Phil says, and peels the collar of his shirt down to reveal that he’s already wearing one. The tan-colored fabric square is no bigger than a playing card and a bit thicker than a normal bandage. “Tony and I are wearing them so that you don’t trigger a sympathetic heat in either of us.” Then, as a second thought, he glances at Tony. “We are both wearing them, aren’t we, Stark?”

                Tony rolls his eyes and hikes up the arm of his shirt to reveal a similar patch on his shoulder.

                “Pepper had one sent up after the two of you talked. She said that there’s no way I’m allowed to go into heat when she’s stuck at boring meetings all week.”

                “Okay, that’s good,” Phil says, relieved that Pepper, at least, was responsible enough to remember Tony’s patch. Phil riffles through his backpack and pulls out a box of patches. He turns to Steve and says, “I have patches for you from medical. They won’t stop your heat from coming on, but they can minimize mood swings and other side effects of pre-heat. They also work as birth-control, since I’m assuming that you’re not interested in that right now.” Steve nods. “Would you be willing to put these on?”

                Steve hesitates, but reaches out and takes the box from Phil. The patches inside are stronger than the ones Phil and Tony are using. Steve’s patches are about six inches long and two inches wide where Tony and Phil’s are barely larger than a bandage. A diagram on the back of the box has highlighted that these patches are supposed to be applied to the inner thighs, across the pelvic bone, and over the back of the neck.

                “I… Medical wanted to give me these?” Steve asks, and Phil can hear a hint of guilt in his voice. Apparently after the suppressants had failed, Steve had snuck out of medical and refused calls to return. Phil understood his reasoning, but hospital policies had come a long way since Steve’s time. There was a good chance that SHIELD medical would have offered him the hormone patches, and then asked if he’d like to talk to another omega. That omega, most likely, would have been Clint or Phil.

                “I talked to SHIELD medical. They understand your… situation. I’ll be relaying information back to your doctor. They’ll let me know if there’s any symptoms that I should be concerned about, and they might send a medic out to check on you. You can refuse to see the medic, but I wouldn’t advise that.” Phil hesitates now, because Steve is still staring at the box of patches, and this is where the conversation might get sticky. “Tony and I will try to respect your wishes as much as possible. But, and this is something that is non-negotiable, we will call medical if you appear to be in distress.”

                “What do you consider in distress?” Steve asks sharply.

                “Erratic heartbeat, severe dehydration, gasping for air, nonresponsive. Anything that could be life threatening.”

                “What would they do?”

                “Most likely, they would want to bring you in to the SHIELD medical facility to monitor your progress. They can give you higher doses of hormones than we can.”

                “That’s it? They won’t… They won’t insist that they bring in an alpha?”

                “SHIELD medical can pump synthesized alpha hormones directly into your bloodstream at 100 times the rate an alpha can produce them. There isn’t an alpha on the planet that would be better suited to take care of you. And I can request that you only have beta and omega doctors, if that would make you more comfortable.” He already had, actually, in his original phone call with medical. “Knowing all this, do we have your permission to continue?”

                Steve just nods, still clutching the package of alpha hormone patches in his hands.

                “Should I put these on now?” he asks. Phil nods.

                “Sooner would be better. Although it won’t stop you from going into heat, flooding your system with alpha hormones will shorten the length of the heat. The patches are only one option we have, but I’d like to combine as many as possible.”

                “Hear that, Spangles?” Tony says, and Phil can’t help but be disappointed that the other’s silence hadn’t continued longer. “We’re gonna feed you up on alpha juice!”

                “Tony, seriously, do you set out to be this obnoxious?” Phil asks.

                “No. It’s a byproduct of my amazing genius and sparkling personality.”

                “It’s fine,” Steve assures. “I hate being a burden like this.”

                “You’re not a burden,” Phil assures, then pauses to collect his thoughts. Instead of continuing, he asks, “Would you like to go apply your patches? Sooner would be better. Do you know where to apply them?”

                “Yeah,” he says and rises nervously, like he’s afraid if he waits too long, Phil might insist that one of them help with the application. “I can see from the box. So… I’ll just go.”

                He leaves quickly. There’s a bathroom on this floor, the communal floor, just a few feet away. Phil turns to Tony because he’s pretty sure that they have a few minutes to talk. He’s almost certain that Steve will go to his floor, to his bathroom, before he feels safe enough to take off his clothes. Many soldier-omegas tend to be cautious, almost paranoid, in their pre-heat. Some of it is instinct. Some of it is learned.

                “Are you sure you can handle this?” Phil asks.

Tony swallows a mouthful of pizza and asks, “What?” around slurping soda through his straw. Phil feels the urge to roll his eyes again, but represses it.

“Steve might be an omega, but he’s also a super-soldier with a high likelihood of trauma in his past. I had assumed he would only need us for emotional support, but now… I’m not so sure.”

“Relax,” Tony quips, and snags a breadstick from Phil’s plate. “I can do the nasty with another omega. Done it tons of times. No sweat.”

“It’s not that simple,” Phil growls, then makes an effort to rein in his temper. “It could be dangerous. If he picks you to help with his heat – I didn’t think it was possible before, but he’s been so timid about this whole thing that now I’m not sure. If he picks you, it could be dangerous. He’s going to be erratic, he may lose lucidity, forget where he is or who you are. If something goes wrong… I could call in a different omega, one with more experience…”

“Steve’s too nervous about the whole thing to accept someone he doesn’t know,” Tony says, and he’s so serious that he puts the breadstick down and looks directly into Phil’s eyes. “It’s either you or me, or he goes it alone. Since that’s really not an option, one of us is going to have to help him.” He pauses a second, looks at his hands. “I know the risks. I’ll be careful. If you want someone who understands PTSD, you’re not going to get someone better than me. Steve doesn’t need someone clinical, professional,” and Tony says it as an insult, “he needs someone he trusts, someone who cares about him. And there’s precious few people on that list.”

There’s nothing Phil can really say to that except, “Okay.” So they sit in silence for a few more minutes, just long enough to confirm Phil’s suspicions that Steve had gone to his own room. He’s changed into blue jeans and a soft cotton top.

“The box said four, right?” he says, and tosses the box back to Phil.

“Yes,” Phil confirms. “Medical recommended you use all four for the highest dosage. You’ll need to change them every 12 hours.”

“Is that… it?” Steve asks hopefully, but Phil knows that the patches are, at best, a bandage solution to Steve’s problem.

“We’ve got these,” Phil offers, pulling a string of red, individually wrapped lollipops out of his pack. Each has tiny print all over the package, and Steve can see words like “directions,” “dosage,” and “warnings.” Tony perks up immediately, leaning forward to grab at them.

“No way! Are those semen flavored lollipops? Are you kidding me?”

“They aren’t…” Phil says, pulling the packs away. “They aren’t semen-flavored, they’re cherry. And they’re artificial hormone-infused. And, also, they’re not for you.”

“No fair! Pep won’t buy me any,” Tony pouts.

“Why?” Steve asks, and reaches forward to take the candies from Phil. Other than the packaging, they look like normal lollipops.

“Most alphas don’t like the flavor of them,” Phil explains. “You probably will.”

“Do you?” Steve wonders, then follows immediately with, “I’m sorry, that was insensitive.”

Phil shakes his head. “I’m not embarrassed about being gay,” Phil assures him. “Actually, I’m not partial to them, but Clint likes them.”

“When should I try them?” Steve asks. While his focus is on Phil, Tony grabs the bottom of the pack and snags the last candy. He gives a triumphant, “Ha!” as he jams the sucker in his mouth.

“Now is fine,” Phil assures with an irritated inflection. “As Tony has just demonstrated, this version is pretty mild and can be used without too much caution. About six of the lollipops will give you the same amount of hormones as we have in one of the smaller patches. The high doses that you’re wearing are probably a hundred times as strong.”

“So these are just…?”

“Tasty placebos,” Tony tells him.

“Options,” Phil corrects with a growl. “It’s another option that you have to supplement your hormones and trigger you into a full heat instead of this… ramping up phase. I’m not sure you’re aware, but pre-heat can drag when you’re not introducing an alpha.”

“I am aware,” Steve tells him. He’s unwrapped his own candy, and he’s staring at it with vague unease and distrust. He sniffs it, but Phil knows that it doesn’t give off a scent. Steve gives it a tentative lick, then pops it into his mouth and moans. It isn’t the taste. Phil’s tried them, and they taste like cherries with a vague hint of chemicals. It’s more to do with the reaction the hormones have with the taste buds, and most omegas report feeling giddy and heated after eating one. When Phil tried them, he just felt vaguely nauseous. But Phil is an exception in most respects, and has never met an alpha hormone, fake or otherwise, that he liked the taste of.

Beyond being gay and having a dislike of alpha hormones in general, some omegas just don’t like the way the synthesized hormones taste. Either the chemical taste or the synthesized hormone reacts badly with their system. Some omegas dislike them on principle, and think that the hormones should come directly from a natural source. Steve, apparently, isn’t one of them. He enjoys his candy with undisguised candor. Phil finds himself smiling, and even Tony has a smirk on his face. It’s the first time either of them have seen the blonde omega smile all day.

“So,” Phil continues, “oral hormone supplements can come in pill form, but they’re usually put into a candy or drink so that it can be absorbed more slowly. Taking hormones by mouth isn’t terribly effective, so they’re really more of a stimulant than anything. Which is very similar to this,” Phil says, and pulls a very small aerosol canister out of his pack. It looks vaguely like a can pf pepper spray, except that it comes in a protective clear case. “This is a bottle of synthesized alpha-scent. It can almost certainly put you into a full-heat if the oral hormones don’t manage. It’s a bit of a last resort, though. Firstly, because it will put you into a full heat almost immediately and, secondly, because it will piss off any alpha that happens to be in the building. It can also trigger a sympathetic heat in other omegas, but Tony and I should be alright because we’re wearing a patch.”

“So this is for…?”

“For when you’re ready to get down and dirty,” Tony tells him, and for once Phil doesn’t correct him. Both omegas glance at him, and Phil shrugs.

“Tony’s essentially right. This won’t shorten the duration of your heat – you’re still looking at three to five days – but it will bring it on immediately instead of waiting through a prolonged ramp-up period. You’re looking at five minutes versus 48 hours.”

                “Is there anything that can shorten the length of my heat?” Steve asks. “Being out of commission that long… and that’s not even taking into account the super serum. It’s a bigger risk than I’d like to take.”

                Phil can hear, “I’d really like to get this over with.” Steve doesn’t have to say it.

                “Traditionally, dealing with an alpha-less heat, you start out with hormone patches during your ramp-up or pre-heat phase. You might induce your heat to start more quickly by using oral hormones, or in some cases even an alpha-scented spray. Then, when your heat actually starts, you get a single shot from medical, or a series of shots over multiple days for more extreme cases. The shot gives your body the necessary hormones, but it takes a few days to naturally absorb them and for your body to calm down. You experience a natural heat, only you don’t need an alpha to bring you through it and it’s a lot less taxing on your body than just ignoring the heat and denying it the alpha hormones until it gives up. This is the best way to go through a lone-heat.”

                “I understand,” Steve says, but he hears, “I know something but I don’t really want to tell you because it’s dangerous.” Phil doesn’t have to say it. So Steve pushes, “But is it the only way?”

                Phil hesitates until Steve is pretty sure that he won’t say anything, and Steve thinks that he’ll probably have to go find the answers for himself. Finally, Phil says, “It isn’t. But the other option is… invasive.”

                “But it will shorten my heat?”

                “Yes. Down from probably 72 hours to about 12.”

                “I want it.”

                “Steve, you don’t even know what it is.”

                “Then explain it,” Steve challenges. There isn’t a lot he won’t do to get this heat over with.

                “The… other option,” Phil begins hesitantly, then sighs. “The patches, the oral pills, and the injection all put synthesized alpha hormones into your body in form that your body isn’t programmed to accept. It takes a lot longer to metabolize them and a lot of the hormones are wasted. That’s one of the reasons for the high doses. If you could take those higher doses in the way you usually would during heat, you can cut your heat time significantly.”

                “So, what?” Tony chimes in, laughing. “You just shove it up your butt?”

                “Essentially,” Phil deadpans. Tony stops laughing and looks like he can’t decide whether it’s actually still a joke or if he should be appalled.

                “How does it work?” Steve asks, unfazed.

                “You take the same hormones that you’re taking orally and put them in a powder form. You can buy them at almost only pharmacy or nutrition store. You dissolve the powder in water and… well, I don’t suppose you know what an enema is?” Steve blushes and nods. “SHIELD medical can administer the procedure…”

                “I don’t want SHIELD.

                “…or I can, I’ve done it for myself and Clint on multiple occasions. The difference with this option, though, is that you must have a sexual partner for your heat. It can be an omega, that’s fine, but it has to be somebody.”

                Steve frowns. He clearly doesn’t like that factor.

                “What if SHIELD does it?”

                “They’ll still need you to sign a 469A form – a release for sexual activity with a designated partner. Steve, trust me,” Phil says, and he hopes he can put all his sincerity into his voice. “You cannot use this method to go alone. You will take yourself apart if you try. This method condenses all that sex and lust into a few short hours. Believe me, you feel it.”

                It takes Steve a few minutes, but eventually he says quietly, “Alright, but I still want Phil to do it.”

                “That’s fine,” Phil assures him. “We can do it tomorrow, down in the gym showers. I’m sure Tony can block the area for us to get some privacy. I’ll get the necessary items tonight. So all that’s left is for you to pick a sexual partner and fill out the paperwork.”

                “Stark,” Steve says, and it’s a little too quick. It’s followed, hesitantly, with, “I mean, I want Tony. If that’s okay.”

                Phil hates to admit it, but he’s a little relieved. It’s not that he doesn’t like Cap. It’s just that he already has a steady boyfriend. He’d really prefer not to complicate that.

                “Tony?” Phil questions, and the Iron Man pilot looks stunned, but he shrugs easily enough.

                “If I’m the one you want, Cap.”

                “Yes, I… thank you,” Steve says awkwardly, his eyes sliding to Phil like he thinks the other omega might protest. Phil just nods.

                “Alright then. Let’s give Steve’s patches a couple hours to work. Say, meet at the Tower gym around 1800 hours?”

                “That’s 6pm for us civilians, right?” Tony chimes in.

                “You won’t be needed for the first part. I’ll get Steve ready in the gym and then bring him up to wherever you’ve decided to nest. And you have five hours of notice, so I expect you to have a proper nest put together. And make sure you go down to medical to get your birth-control shot within the hour so it has time to take effect. They’ll let me know if you don’t.”

                “Fine, fine,” Tony says, waving his hand dismissively. “I’ll run down to medical and then get something put together in the guest room on this floor.”

                “Is that alright with you?” Phil asks Steve. “Or would you rather do it on your floor?”

                “No, here is fine,” Steve says quickly. “I’d rather not have heat-smell on my floor for weeks.”

                Communal areas don’t tend to saturate so quickly in scents. With different people coming through and putting their scent and the scent of what they’re doing on things, it’s difficult for any one scent to linger. In a personal space, however, any strong scent can be picked up on for days, sometimes even weeks. In a normal den, the scent of a coupling pair is a good thing. It helps the space smell like home, and the constant reminders of affection are a good thing. In this case, however, Phil can see how Steve might not want lingering reminders of this experience, or of his own missing mate.

                “Okay. Steve, I recommend you get some sleep. You’ll want to stop eating soon and let your stomach digest, as nausea is a common side-effect of this method of heat induction. Tony, did you…”

                Pepper walks in then, and Phil pauses at the unexpected intrusion.

                “Pep!” Tony barks with a smile. “I thought you were working late?”

                “I moved some meetings so I could come home early,” she admits and strides across the room to capture Tony’s lips in a quick kiss. She jerks back when their lips meet and makes a face. “What do you taste like?” she growls with a grimace. Tony gives her an “oops” smile and his eyes dart to the lollipop stick lying discarded on the end table.

                “We were… ah… showing Steve some options.”

                “And, let me guess, you had to try one?” she asks, and rolls her eyes. She turns her eyes to Steve, smiles warmly. “How are you feeling?”

                “Fine, ma’am,” Steve says somewhat awkwardly. Phil can’t tell if it’s because Pepper is an alpha or a woman. He thinks it’s probably the latter, since Steve had reacted with aggression when he’d though he and Tony were alphas. “And thank you for lending me your… Tony.”

                “Oh, did you decide to let him help you? That’s good. I’m glad I came home early. Did you want…” and she pauses, a small frown creasing her forehead. She glances at Phil as the responsible party, then to Tony, then to Steve again. “No pressure, and it’s fine if you don’t, but did you want an alpha as well? Tony and I talked about it and I…”

                “No, thank you, ma’am,” Steve says, and he’s gone scarlet now, but he seems more embarrassed than angry.

                “Okay, sweetie, I just wanted to offer. Let me know if you change your mind. I’ll make sure the guest room is cleaned, get some water and protein bars put in there. Tony, I’ve cleared your schedule for the next three days. You can let me know if it’s not enough…”

                “We won’t need that much time,” Steve assures. “I’ve… We talked about it, and we’re going to… expedite it.”

                Pepper’s eyes go immediately to Phil, who nods. She doesn’t look pleased about this, but she only gives him a concerned look before letting it go.

                “I’d better get the room ready, then. And you,” she says turning to Tony, “you brush your teeth before I see you again so I can give you a proper kiss without tasting another alpha.” She turns then and starts walking out of the room. As she passes Steve, she hesitates and looks at him. She gives him a playful smile and winks at him. “You smell lovely, darling. Take good care of my man, okay?” And then she walks out of the room, her designer heels tapping against the tiles.

                “I need to go, too,” Phil says as Pepper disappears. “There are some forms I need to fill out and I’ll need to consult with Steve’s doctors. Steve, I’ll have some paperwork for you when I come later. Tony, don’t let Pepper do all the set-up work for you, alright? At least look at it before tonight.”

                And then Phil heads out, setting the same brisk pace he would use when preparing for a mission. Steve watches him go with a bit of trepidation. Tony isn’t intimidating, physically, but he has a lot of personality and a very little bit of tact, and Steve has just agreed to go through a heat with him.

                Tony doesn’t seem much more at ease. He fiddles with his phone for a moment, and Steve can’t even guess what he might be doing because Pepper has just walked out of the room and Steve doesn’t know how much Tony’s phone is capable of beyond messages. After a few seconds, Tony sighs and rises, shoves his hands in his pockets.

                “Listen, I know I can be a bit of a dick,” he admits. Steve tries to open his mouth to argue but Tony shakes his head, which is good because Steve isn’t sure how vehemently he can argue that point. “I just want you to know, I’m going to try to do this right. I mean, I’m not really great with being a support system. When I get heats, Pepper has a whole team of people to help her get me through it. Like, massages and spa treatments and pedicures and gourmet lunches, and I’m pretty sure none of that would appeal to you.”

Steve nods, because that all sounds horribly invasive when he’s at his most vulnerable time. Lots of omegas like to be pampered during their heat, and Steve did enjoy when his mate was attentive and affectionate, but he has no interest in having other people in his space.

“So,” Tony continues, “I’ve got some experience with other omegas, and I’m sure Phil is going to give me some tips before he hands you over. But I need you to try and keep the communication lines open, okay? Whatever you want, whatever you need, just let me know. I’m not your mate, I’m not even an alpha, so I don’t have any instincts to lead me. I’m going to need you to let me know, alright?”

“Yes, I can do that. And thank you. I really appreciate this. I know it’s… well, I’m sure it’s not how you wanted to spend your evening.”

Tony waves away his thanks, just grins. “Hours of hot sex? Not exactly an imposition, Cap.”

And then Tony is gone and Steve is alone with just his hormones for company. He sighs deeply and leans back into the couch. He feels a little better with a plan in place, but he’s still nervous about his heat, about letting anyone, even his friends, see him that vulnerable. But his body is still in preheat, and his stomach is full, and it’s inevitable that the next thing it wants to do is sleep. He passes out with his head leaned against the arm of the couch, his sock-covered feet still firmly on the floor. Tony returns about ten minutes later, gives the cap a soft smile, and gently lifts his feet onto the couch and throws an afghan over the sleeping soldier. Steve stirs, his hand closing around the blanket and clutching it closer to his face.

“Knew it,” Tony says softly, and quietly leaves the soldier to his sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

 

Six o’clock finds Steve feeling well-rested and nervous, padding softly toward the communal shower. He expects Phil to be waiting for him, but finds Clint leaning against the wall in front of the door.

“I didn’t know you were back,” Steve says, and the words are out before he can think better of them, but Clint gives him a half-smile.

“Just got back a couple hours ago,” he says, and Steve sees the way he holds himself a bit too stiff, the way he still looks worn despite being freshly showered, and knows that it was a rough mission. A mission long and stressful enough to shake the experienced archer, and Steve feels a pang of guilt for pulling away from the bed that’s obviously waiting for him. But Clint just says, “I hear you got a situation, Cap.”

“Yeah, I guess. Did Phil…?”

“Just said you needed some help,” Clint says. He doesn’t pressure for more information, but Steve feels like he’s owed an explanation.

“I guess Phil didn’t tell you, then, that I’m an… omega?” he says. Clint gives him an even stare for a moment, then shrugs.

“Wasn’t any of my business,” he says with an ease that tells Steve that he really doesn’t care. “You already knew that I’m an omega.”

Steve feels another stab of guilt, this time because he should have revealed his dynamic earlier, when Clint had gone into heat and was forced to reveal his own. But Steve had still been under the impression that Clint was the only omega on the team, and he hadn’t felt confident enough in his position of team leader to jeopardize by revealing himself. There had been a part of him, too, that thought maybe he could help Clint as his team leader, a part of him that remembers being the only omega on the team and wishing that one of his superiors, just one, could understand what he was going through. But it’s a shallow defense, and he’s not going to hide behind it. He’s strong enough to admit that, of all the things in this future that confuse and frighten him, being alone as an omega is still his worst fear.

“I’m going into heat soon,” Steve says. “Phil offered to help me… accelerate the process. Tony’s going to help me through it.”

Clint whistles and says, “I wouldn’t want to be you,” then gives him a lopsided smile.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Steve says. “I guess I should… bite the bullet, then?”

Clint nods, and follows Steve inside. The communal showers are familiar territory to both of them. They’ve trained together, showered together, and it’s never been a problem. Steve tries not to let his oncoming heat make him more sensitive. Clint helps by acting like nothing is wrong. Or maybe it’s not acting.

Phil’s already inside when they enter. It’s a large room, but there’s a space that’s usually used for massages. It’s under an archway, just off of the lockers and beside the toilets and showers. There are two massage tables. Phil’s got one covered in towels, a medical pole next to it that makes Steve nervous. Clint perches himself on the other table.

                “You still sure about this?” Phil asks. “There’s still time to back out, Cap.”

                “No, I’m… I want to do this,” Steve denies. “It’s just…” His eyes glance toward Clint, who catches the look. He gives Steve an understanding smile and turns his back to them.

                “Sorry, Steve,” Phil says, “but I need him in case you can’t make it out of here under your own power. I won’t be able to carry you on my own.”

                “I promise, Cap,” Clint calls, never turning toward them, “no peeking.”

                It’s enough for Steve to nod. Phil hands over his tablet and Steve sees that there are consent forms on the screen, and he has another bizarre moment of feeling like he’s in a sci-fi movie, because honestly, when did paper and pen go out of style? But he takes a moment to read through them and then checks a box for “Consents to all sexual acts with designated party” and doubles checks to make sure Tony Stark is listed as the designated party, then signs his name and hands it back. Phil holds out a robe for him, gesturing that he can change in one of the shower stalls.

                “Everything’s mixed and warmed,” Phil tells Steve as he changes into the white, terrycloth robe, “So this should be fast. Maybe twenty minutes. We’ll do a quick cleanse, and then the second bag will contain the hormone solution. You’ll have to hold it for ten minutes, and then we’ll take you to Tony’s nest to ride out the rest of the heat. Should all be over by tomorrow afternoon, if not sooner.”

                “That’s good,” Steve says hesitantly. “I’m… I mean, thank you. I know this has been…”

                “It’s fine,” Phil assures, and leads him over to the table. As he dons a pair of latex gloves, he says, “It’s nothing less than I’d do for any other member of the team. Now, I’m going to assume you understand what this procedure entails. All I need you to do is lay down on your side facing Clint and pull one knee up to your chest.”

                Steve follows Phil’s instructions, grateful to have something he can follow. He’s still feeling jittery and off-balance in his pre-heat hormones, and the nervousness isn’t helping. Phil warns him, “I’m going to pull your robe up to your hips,” but Steve’s breath still catches when Phil exposes his lower half. Steve trusts Phil – really, he does – but there’s just something about letting another person this close to him that’s unsettling.

                “I’m going lube your entrance,” Phil warns. “Try to relax.”

                Steve feels slippery, latex-clad fingers probing around his entrance and shivers. It’s not that it feels unpleasant. With his body ramping up for heat, he’s been unusually horny, and even Phil’s clinical touch is enough to make his cock twitch with interest. But it’s invasive, and he’s more aware than ever that the person touching him isn’t the person he wants touching him. It stands out in stark relief that the man Steve is missing is gone. He’s been gone for years now. And Steve won’t ever feel the careful, almost delicate probing of those fingers again. He won’t get to hear him curse with excitement. Won’t get to argue with him to go faster, go harder, go deeper.

                Steve hisses as Phil inserts a finger, because he has to make a sound or he’s going to start sobbing.

                “Sorry, Cap,” Phil apologizes, but doesn’t let up. He thrusts his finger a few times, then inserts a second. He scissors them in a way that Steve is more than familiar with, but stops much sooner than Steve is used to. But then, Phil isn’t preparing him for anything larger than his fingers.

                “Okay,” Phil says softly. “This is going to be the cleansing rinse. It’s going to be smaller than the next one, about a quart of fluid this time. I’m going to put the nozzle in now, try to bear down while I insert it.”

                Steve takes a deep breath and tries not to flinch as Phil works the length of hose inside him. To his credit, Phil is professional, and inserts the hose quickly, pushing and twisting it until it slides inside easily. Still, it’s not pleasant, and Steve knows it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

                “I’m going to let the water start flowing,” Phil warns, and Steve can hear him hanging the bag before the flow of warm water hits his gut. “Let me know if you get too cramped or need to stop.”

                “Okay,” Steve says softly, and knows he won’t. He just wants this over, now.

                “So is this the same as the heat I had last month?” Clint asks, and Steve glances up quickly, but is relived to find that the archer’s back is still to them.

                “I’m not sure,” Steve says, and he knows Clint is just trying to distract him, but he’s grateful for it. “Medical couldn’t tell, but they said it could be related, or it might be coincidence.”

                “It’s possible that just relaxing into your environment and your team might have triggered it,” Phil chimes in. “Omegas in stressful situations have fewer heats.”

                “Probably feels like you’re being punished for being happy,” Clint says, and there’s a yawn in his voice that tells Steve that Clint isn’t really paying attention to his words. Still, it hits Steve like a blow to the gut, because that’s exactly how he feels. After a moment of silence, Clint says, “Shit. I’m sorry, man. I didn’t mean to say it that way. I’m not thinking.”

                “It’s okay. I feel bad about pulling you out of bed when you really should be resting.”

                “Whatcha talking about?” Clint teases, shifting on the other table, laying on his side with his back still to them. “This is the best bed I’ve had all month.” And that doesn’t really make Steve feel better, but he lets the mood lighten anyway. Behind him, he hears Phil changing his gloves and he tries to focus on that instead of the way his stomach is starting to feel full and cramped, or the way his abdomen is swelling with water.

                “Not much longer,” Phil assures him, and Steve almost startles when he feels Phil’s fingers on his hip. “I’m going to massage your stomach. It should help you take the rest without too much discomfort.”

                And then Phil’s hands are sliding down his abdomen, gently pressing around his stomach and up his sides. Steve can feel the water sloshing unpleasantly, but the cramping nearly ceases and Steve almost groans.

                “How much more?” he asks, his voice shaking slightly.

                “Two-thirds done,” Phil says as he kneads gently. “How are you feeling?”

                “Full,” Steve rasps, “but I guess that’s the point, huh?”

                Phil doesn’t respond, and they spend a few minutes just listening to Steve’s deep, controlled breathing. Finally, Phil removes his hands and says, “That’s all of it. I’m going to take the hose out, then you can go around the corner and release it.”

                Steve is familiar with this locker room, and he knows there’s a full bathroom only a few feet away, large enough for a wheelchair to fit in and with a solid door to it. He’s never needed to use it before, but he’s helped other injured team members through physical therapy down here before, and has seen how relived they are to be able to use the facilities by themselves. He feels like he has a better idea now, of what that small gesture means to their dignity. Still, with his stomach camping and bloated with liquid, the bathroom seems miles away.

                Phil pulls the hose out gently, slowly, but Steve cringes as he feels it go. He tries not to think about the fact that he’s going to have to do this a second time, or how humiliating it is to have two of his trusted teammates see him like this. At the same time, he knows he could never be this vulnerable around a stranger.

                Phil helps Steve stand, then thankfully lets him walk on his own around the corner. He shuts the door softly and even makes himself take a second to flip the lock. He’s not naive. He knows Clint could pick it in a second, and he doesn’t actually want to keep them out. But something about the gesture makes him feel more secure.

                When he finishes, he takes a second to indulge in the fantasy of not going back out there, of bunkering down in the bathroom until the whole thing is over. But Steve has never been one to run from his problems, and his heat won’t change that.

                Getting back on the table for Phil is difficult, but Steve makes himself lay back down. He glances at Clint to find that the archer is staring at the ceiling, looking tired but still awake. When Phil touches Steve this time, giving him a soft verbal warning first, Steve is ready for him. Still, he can’t help a small cringe as the hose slides inside and the first gush of warm liquid hits his guts.

                “Let me know if you need to stop,” Phil tells him, but Steve knows that he won’t ask for a break. He just wants this over with as quickly as possible.

                “Thanks, Phil. I really appreciate this.”

                “Oh, I’m sure staring at your ass all night is no big hardship for him,” Clint teases.

                “Yeah, I don’t really think this is the most fun way to do that,” Steve teases back, mostly because he doesn’t want Clint’s teasing to fall flat, doesn’t want to make the other omega think he has a problem with Phil being gay. On the other hand, Steve’s not really used to this kind of teasing, and he doesn’t really know what else to say. Luckily, he gets hit with a hard cramp and groans, saving him from any more conversation.

                “Do you want to pause?” Phil asks, even though it has only been a few seconds. Steve shakes his head, and Phil is already hiking up his robe, laying his hands on Steve’s stomach and kneading away the cramps.

                It helps, at first. But as Steve’s stomach fills with fluid, not even Phil’s gentle massage can take away all the pain and cramping. By the time Phil tells him, “Half way there,” Steve has already broken out in a light sweat. Phil moves around behind him and starts gently rubbing his lower back, trying to ease some of his discomfort.

                “Hey, Cap,” Clint calls, and Steve looks up to see that the archer has extended his hand in Steve’s direction, his eyes closed but still awake. Steve hesitates a moment, then places his hand in his teammate’s. “It’s gonna get worse before it gets better,” Clint says softly, “but you can take it. I know you can.”

Somehow, it helps. Whether it’s the platonic hand-holding or the confident reassurance, Steve feels a little better. Which is good, since the cramps begin to intensify in the next few minutes, as the last of the liquid begins to drain into Steve’s body. Phil has moved back around to massage Steve’s stomach, careful not to break Steve and Clint’s interlocked hands. Steve has a death grip on Clint’s fingers, stopping just shy of causing actual pain, and Clint can feel Steve trembling even through his iron grip.

“Almost there,” Phil assures, and takes a moment to wipe the sweat from Steve’s face with a clean towel. “You’re doing way better than Clint, when he had his.”

“Yeah,” Clint jumps in, “I think we had to stop six or seven times for me. Almost had to chase me down the hall.”

“Why did you…” Steve begins to ask, but stop as another cramp hits him, steal his breath away.

“Why did I need one? I had these nasty, irregular heats when I first started for SHIELD. I’d been on illegal suppressants before I got recruited because I was too young for normal suppressants. They thought maybe I’d screwed up my biology and I wouldn’t be able to have heats. Anyway, long story short, the day before I was scheduled to head out on a mission, I suddenly start going into heat. I didn’t want to miss the mission and medical wouldn’t approve me for suppressants with everything that was still in my body. So Phil here gave me these hormones and then helped me through the heat afterwards. And, what can I say? We’ve been together ever since.”

“That’s all of it,” Phil says, and Steve wonders if he’d waited a moment to let Clint finish his story, because the timing is a bit convenient. “I’m going to pull the tube out, and then you need to wait ten minutes for your body to absorb the hormones. Then we’ll let you release and shower, and then we’ll help you upstairs, where Tony will take it from there.”

“So I just… ah… lay here for ten minutes?” Steve asks, and can’t keep his voice from sounding a little bit panicked.

“You can move around, but it might make the cramps worse,” Phil warns.

“Can I… I’d like to sit up, if that’s okay,” Steve asks hesitantly, and Phil doesn’t even reply, just moves to help Steve sit up.

Steve feels better when he sits up, even though his stomach continues to cramp. Phil pulls one end of the massage table up so that Steve can recline against it, and Steve sags back gratefully, his arms coming up to wrap around his distended stomach. They sit quietly for a few moments while Steve catches his breath, until the silence becomes unbearable. Finally, Phil breaks the silence.

“Would you like to hear about the first time I used the hormone treatment?” Phil asks, and Steve nods, because he would do anything for a distraction. Even Clint flicks his eyes curiously at his lover, having never heard this particular story before.

“I was seventeen,” Phil says quietly and settles on the table by Clint’s feet. “I lived in a small town in Utah with good, hardworking, nosy people. The kind of people who go to church every Sunday to gossip about the neighbor’s marital problems. It was the kind of town where time seemed to move more slowly, because the town was so far behind the rest of the world,” Phil says, and Clint can see a soft smile of reminiscence on his face, but it’s tinged with bitterness. “I lived with my mother and my sister in a small, upscale apartment complex. My father was deployed as a naval officer.” This part Clint is familiar with, and Steve isn’t surprised to hear. “I’d always dreamed of following in his footsteps, but I got seasick at the mention of a boat, so I applied for a specialized branch of the military instead. I got top marks in school, and despite the fact that I never really felt like I fit in, I finished high school with enough honors and extracurricular activities to get me into an exclusive specialist program.”

Phil pauses a second to get up and move back to Steve’s side, because he can see from the way Steve is flinching that the cramps have started again. Phil starts to massage Steve’s stomach again, flicking his eyes to his watch and hoping he can make his story last the rest of the time.

“Unfortunately,” he continues, “I was an omega, and a late bloomer at that. The military had progressed enough that it would allow omegas into specialist programs, but only omegas on suppressants. In those days, you had to have a heat before they’d put you on suppressants, and there weren’t any heat-inducing drugs available to teenagers. I knew that alpha hormones could trigger a first-time heat, but I wasn’t sexually active. I hadn’t found any alphas at my high school that I was interested in, and I didn’t want to ask a stranger to help me. The easiest thing would have been to wait until I had a natural heat, use artificial hormone patches to get through it alone, and then show up at camp when it was over. However, that would have almost certainly revealed me as an omega to all of the other students. So I purchased artificial hormone supplements from the next state over and started taking them orally, trying to trigger my heat.”

Phil moves to Steve’s side and starts rubbing gently as his back, helps him shift again and notes the way his breath is coming in pants and his face is flushed, even as he continues the story.

“It didn’t work out as well as I had hoped. By the time I felt my heat beginning, it was only a week away from the start of the program. The only form of lone-heat drugs available at the time were the patches, which offer such a low hormone that they can stretch out a heat to almost a week before it ends. I still didn’t have an alpha that I trusted enough to take me through. I started getting desperate, so I researched omega biology and came up with a plan to over-saturate my body in artificial hormones. I knew my mother and sister were going for long weekend to my grandmother’s, so I faked sick and stayed home. It was probably the most embarrassing thing I’d ever done, but I went two town over to buy the equipment, and then gave myself the same treatment you’re getting now.”

“Reckless,” Clint says before he can stop himself, thinking about his own experience with the induced heat, thinking about being alone and seventeen when it hit. Phil smiles and nods in agreement.

                “Honestly, I thought I was going to die. The hormones hit me and I got lightheaded and dizzy, my heartrate skyrocketed, I began to sweat and shake. I orgasmed three times in a row without touching my cock, with no signs of stopping. I thought I’d miscalculated and poisoned myself. I was too confused to call anyone for help. I’m not even sure how I managed to get my clothes on. I panicked and left the apartment, not thinking clearly enough to phone for help.”

                “Are you shittin’ me?” Clint asks, and even Steve is listening with rapt attention, his mind distracted from the cramps in his abdomen.

“Luckily, on my way down the stairs, I ran into the neighbor below us, and he realized I was in heat. He wouldn’t let me go into the streets where I was likely to get gang-raped, and instead took me back to his apartment to help me through it. He was…” and here Phil pauses to smile at the memory. “Honestly, he looked a bit like Thor. Dark, short hair and green eyes, but the same build. All arms and muscles. I could remember people telling me that once you go into heat, once you get hit with those pheromones, suddenly alphas are nearly irresistible. And when he picked me up, when he grabbed me and pulled me against his chest, his scent was so good that I couldn’t stop sniffing him, couldn’t stop begging him, even though I knew he was married. I’d talked to his wife that morning, when she’d left for her job as a nurse. When he took me back to his apartment, I was so grateful and desperate that I didn’t question it. I just thought, ‘This is it. This is what they were talking about. This is amazing.’ And I let him take me through my heat.”

                Phil pauses, obviously lost in memory. Steve can’t help but feel like there’s something missing from the story, when Phil finally smiles ruefully and admits, “It wasn’t until after the heat broke hours later that I realized he wasn’t an alpha, and the scent coming off of him was that of an omega reacting to another omega’s heat.”

                “You mean… How did you not know he was an omega?” Clint wonders.

                “I’d never been with an alpha. Besides, do you remember how lucid you were when we did this to you?”

                “Yeah, but… I mean, didn’t you wonder why he didn’t knot you?”

                “I just figured he didn’t want to get me pregnant. He never actually had sex with me,” Phil says with a shrug, and Steve knows that an omega can satisfy another omega, just like an omega can actually satisfy themselves given enough time. Eventually, the body gives up looking for an alpha and cancels the whole breeding cycle. It’s just horrific until then. “Honestly, he didn’t take advantage at all. He was a pretty upstanding guy.”

                “What about his wife?” Steve wonders.

                “Oh, she was furious with me,” Phil says. “I mean, especially when I explained what I’d done. She was a nurse, so she’d seen what could happen when an omega took those kinds of risks, and she was furious that I would put myself in that kind of situation without help or supervision. She was also furious that I’d used her husband like that, and that I’d found out their secret. Because her husband was an omega who looked like an alpha, and she was an alpha-female in a town that didn’t believe those existed, and it was the worst kind of gossip to have floating around a place like ours, so I swore to them that I wouldn’t tell a soul. I apologized profusely and went back to my apartment to crash. But, honestly, they were both really sweet. They checked on me for the rest of the weekend, making sure I ate and got plenty of fluids, even helped clean up the mess I’d made from stumbling around the apartment. When my mom came home, she just though I’d been through a normal heat, and even commented on how convenient it was.”

                “Was that when you realized you were gay?” Steve finds himself asking, even though he’s not sure it’s an appropriate question.

                “Funny enough,” Phil says, “no, it wasn’t. I just thought it was the hormones making me desperate enough to want anyone, and he just happened to be around. It wasn’t until a couple years later, in a more open-minded city, that I managed to sort through my urges to realize that I had literally no attraction to male alphas, and that I preferred male omegas over all the other genders and dynamics.”

                “And then he met me, and carnies don’t really care one way or another who they’re screwing, so it was a perfect fit that we got together,” Clint boasts, smiling at the ceiling.

                “My alpha didn’t care about that stuff either,” Steve admits, and Phil thinks that maybe the pain in Steve’s smile isn’t purely physical. “Back in the ‘40s, people still looked down on omega males as freaks. Can’t breed as well as an omega female, but can’t sire like an alpha or beta male.” Phil doesn’t interrupt, but he puts a note in his mind to correct Steve at a later date, that modern medicine has proven that omega males can sire, even if it’s less likely than with an alpha or beta male. “You couldn’t really tell that I wasn’t a beta unless I was in heat, and I was too sick before the serum for that to be a problem very often. After the serum, the team knew I was an O, but they didn’t care, and we couldn’t let anybody else know. Bu-… He hated it.”

                “He sounds like a good alpha,” Phil says softly. Steve turn his face away, and is more than relieved when Phil says, “Time’s up,” so that Steve has a reason to retreat to the bathroom.

                Steve doesn’t need help getting into the bathroom, and he thanks his lucky stars for that small dignity. The nausea hits him while he’s washing his hands, and he hasn’t eaten since lunch, so there’s only bile in his stomach when he retches. When he finishes, he goes immediately to a shower stall around the corner, and finds that he’s dizzy by the time he gets there. His body feels hot, and he turns on the cold water, but even that can’t cool him. His cock is hard, but pumping it with his hands only makes him maddeningly more horny. He comes once, but so long and hard that he has to lean against the shower wall, and it does nothing to diminish his erection. He knows he must look terrified, palming his hard dick and staring at his come on the wall like a scene from a horror movie. It’s only a lifetime of manners that make him wash the wall off before he puts his robe back on and stumbles back to Phil and Clint, who have been kind enough to give him the illusion of privacy.

                “We gotcha,” Clint tells him as Steve stumbles around the corner to them. Phil comes up under his other arm, and together they steady him and guide him out of the locker room. Phil was right, Steve thinks, and he’s glad that there are two of them to help him. He’s pretty sure he wouldn’t make it to the elevators under his own power.

                Steve can feel the hormones kicking in. His heart is racing. His body is unnaturally hot. His thoughts are jumbled. His mouth is dry. His hands shake, and his legs are unsteady. And his cock aches so, so badly. His friends, on either side of him, keep him moving toward the elevator, toward relief. Steve suddenly can’t believe how lucky he is, to have so many people in this new age who care about him, who would do this for him.

                It becomes very important to Steve that Phil understands why he asked Tony to help him through the heat. That it isn’t a slight on him or their friendship. That it isn’t because Phil is gay or because he’s with Clint.

“Phil, I need to tell you why I picked Tony,” Steve says, trying to keep his words from slurring.

                “You don’t have to explain anything to me,” Phil denies, and tries his best to keep the omega walking. Steve stumbles, but keeps going under his own power. In a moment, they’re in the elevator. It isn’t a small space, but Phil and Clint both stay close in case Steve loses his balance. Steve manages not to grind against either of his friends, but it’s a close thing. They, thankfully, pretend not to notice how hard he is, how much omega-scent he’s producing.

                “It’s not… It’s not because I don’t trust you!” Steve says, and his voice comes out just a little too loud, too desperate, and Phil knows it’s because of the hormones. “It’s just that Tony wears a helmet.”

                And that revelation is just startling enough to make Phil ask, “What?” without being able to stop himself.

                “I pretty much only see him on missions, and he’s always wearing his helmet. So I won’t ever have to look him in the eye after this. Which is good, because I’m not sure I could.”

                And, somehow, it makes Phil feel a little better, that he was passed over because Steve values his friendship more than Tony’s, not less. Still, he says, “You have nothing to be ashamed of. No one on the team will think any less of you for this. Not me, and certainly not Tony. But I respect your decision.”

                “’M glad,” Steve says. The elevator stops and the doors open. Steve starts to step out and then stumbles enough to knock Clint off-balance, nearly taking them both to the floor. Steve doesn’t seem to notice. “I was so worried that I’d have to take an alpha. That no one would listen when I said I didn’t want one.”

                “Nobody’s gonna force you into anything,” Clint says, and his voice might be a little harsher than necessary, but it’s because Steve is one of theirs now and the idea of anyone taking advantage of him is repugnant.

                “Almost there,” Phil says, and they’re finally outside the door to Tony’s guest room, and the door is sliding open as they near. Tony’s wearing soft cotton pants and a tank-top, his hair still wet from a shower. Phil can smell an alpha-scent as they near, and knows that Tony probably used an alpha-scented soap. Steve moans and steps toward Tony, who laughs and takes the Cap’s weight.

                “Easy there, stud,” he chuckles as the taller blonde scents his neck, trying to bring out more alpha scent, which isn’t going to happen. But it’s okay, because Tony has sprayed the room in alpha-scent, and Steve will have more than enough to smell. “Thanks guys, I’ll take it from here.”

                “Don’t let him get dehydrated,” Phil warns. “And I’ll be checking in every few hours to make sure you’re okay. The hormones are already working, just try to keep him sated through the worst of it.”

                “Water and sex, not at the same time. Got it.”

                “Have fun guys!” Clint says with a grin and a wave, dragging his own lover away. When they hit the elevator, Clint’s already pressing Phil against the wall and kissing him.

                “Don’t tell me all those pheromones didn’t make you horny too,” Clint says, and Phil is kissing him back just as desperately.

                “I am…” Phil denies against Clint’s mouth, “…a complete professional… and would never… ngh… think that way about a coworker.”

                “Does that mean you don’t want me to wear the star-spangled thong when we get to our floor?”

                “…It does not mean that.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! This is the end! I had some ideas rolling around about a sequel, but I'm not sure it's going to happen. Let me know what you thought! I know this is a bit of a different a/b/o fic, I'd like to know what the reaction is. Also, this has a bit of a sad ending - not super sad, nobody dies. I don't know. Let me know what you think!

                Despite the bravado, Tony isn’t really sure what to do with Cap when he finally gets him alone. He’s had experience with other omegas before, but usually just for fun and never for someone this desperate. Steve is taller and more muscular than Tony. He looks more like an alpha than Tony does. Hell, he has combat experience. With Nazis!

                For a moment, Tony thinks he might be over his head.

                Then Steve sends them tumbling into the nest of blankets that have been skillfully arranged (by someone else) on the bed. When their eyes meet, Steve gives him an embarrassed little smile, and Tony remembers that underneath all the muscles and desperation is an awkward soldier with a heart of gold. And Tony might love being an omega and all the attention that comes with it, but he’s serious about being there for Steve as an alpha-surrogate.

                “So I hear you’ve had better days,” Tony says as he climbs back to his feet, leaving Steve kneeling on the bed.

                “And worse ones,” Steve sends back, because this banter is familiar enough between them to be almost second nature.

                “Oh? I rate better than torture? I’m touched.”

                “Well I’m not,” Steve teases, but his body shudders and Tony realizes just how close to the brink Steve is.

                “We can fix that,” he says, and reaches down to push the robe off of Steve’s shoulder. Steve shrugs out of the robe, lets it fall to the floor, revealing a sleek body of lean muscles, glistening with sweat and rippling with power. Between his legs, his cock is hard and dripping, long and slim and lacking the bulge of an alpha’s knot, but all the more elegant without it. Tony feels his mouth go dry at the sight. But it’s Steve who moans and gets to his knees.

                “I’m so empty,” Steve moans, his cock bobbing between his legs. “It’s like my skin is crawling. I just… I need…” and he’s so desperate that Tony doesn’t even try to tease him, just shrugs off his shirt and lets Steve undo his pants.

                “I got what you want, baby,” Tony coos, and he doesn’t care if it sounds like a bad porno. “You want my cock?”

                “Yes,” Steve hisses, and Tony’s shaft is already half-hard when it springs free of his jeans, and Steve doesn’t hesitate to wrap his lips around it and suck it to its full length. Tony moans and fists his hands in Steve’s hair, watching the golden locks tangle around his fingers. He has to keep himself from using that grip to fuck Steve’s hot, gorgeous mouth. It’s something he might do if they knew each other a little better, if they’d talked about it beforehand and Steve was okay with it. Tony can’t deny how tempting it is to fuck Steve’s face, but Tony won’t take advantage like that, especially with someone too far gone to say no.

                Tony does give Steve’s hair a gentle tug when he’s getting too close, because Tony isn’t sure he can get off enough to keep up with the super-soldier even with the massive amounts of alpha and omega pheromones in the air. It’s no secret that alpha pheromones make omegas horny, but omega pheromones can also trigger sympathy-heats or just general horniness in other omegas, while alpha pheromones can trigger a rut or just general aggression in alphas. With a mix of both in the air, Tony is feeling nearly lightheaded with lust.

                Steve frees Tony’s cock with an almost disappointed little pop. He nuzzles Tony’s thigh, sniffing Tony’s scent while leaving traces of his own behind to mark his intention to mate. Tony almost whistles at how territorial Steve is, and he wonders if it’s this express-heat-thing, being in this new time, or if Steve is normally just this clingy. Before Tony can comment, Steve says, “I’ve missed the taste of your cock, Buck.”

                “What?”

                “I said, I’ve missed the taste of cock, Bud,” Steve says quickly. And, yeah, that’s a bit weird. But then, Steve’s completely messed up on alpha hormones. There isn’t even a point in teasing him about it.

                “Then maybe you should return the favor,” Tony teases, and gives Steve a gentle push backwards. Steve falls back into the nest, his pale skin complemented by the navy blue sheets. The bed is a mix of modern and traditional. The sheets are made of synthetic materials that feel like silk against Steve’s skin- or maybe it is silk. Steve can’t tell and doesn’t care. It’s not like he’d know the difference anyway. But the bed is a traditional round shape, with a raised, padded edge along the back that gives it the feel of a real nest. The shape makes it seem a little less foreign to Steve, although the last time he used a nest, it was made of blankets and actual leaves. Steve’s haywire brain is having a hard time not superimposing that image over this one. Steve’s having a hard time not letting it.

                But Steve isn’t worrying about nests – past or present – when Tony’s lips find Steve’s cock and suck it expertly down to the root. Steve cries out, pumps his hips into Tony’s mouth once, twice, and then comes hard. Tony takes it like an expert, pulling back just enough that Steve’s semen doesn’t choke him, and then laps Steve’s cock clean. Steve goes boneless beneath him, but Steve’s cock hardly even softens. Tony knows that it’s going to take more than a bit of fellatio to satisfy this soldier.

                With Steve relaxed beneath him, Tony takes advantage of the unhurried moment to push Steve’s thighs open and probe at Steve’s opening. Omegas, even males, tend to self-lubricate during heat, when their digestive system shuts down and their body focuses solely on reproduction. Steve’s body is dry, probably from a combination of the enemas and too little time to produce slick, but it’s not a huge problem. Some male omegas have problems with natural lubrication anyway, so Tony is ready with a bottle lubricant, and he generously coats his fingers before pressing one into the other omega. Steve’s orgasm-induced stupor is starting to wear off, and he mewls as Tony breaches him.

                “I’ve got you,” Tony assures softly, knowing that his tone more than his words will be what Steve understands at this point. Tony inserts a second finger and rocks them gently, unsurprised by how quickly Steve’s body opens for him. Steve moans and fists his hands in the sheets as Tony thrusts his fingers gently, giving Steve time to adjust. It sends jolts of pleasure up Steve’s spine, and he orgasms again, although not as hard as the first time. It hardly takes the edge off his need, though, and he’s panting by the time Tony adds a third finger. And while Tony seems happy to prolong their foreplay, but Steve is reaching the end of his patience. His mate had always teased him this way, drawing it out until he was begging with need, so he’s not shy about asking for what he wants.

                “Enough playing around,” Steve says, but it comes out as more of a gasp than a growl.

                “Yeah? You ready for my cock?”

“I want it, Buck.”

“What?”

“I want to fuck.”

Tony’s pretty sure that’s not what he said, but lets it go anyway.

                Steve hisses when Tony pulls his fingers out. Knowing that something bigger is coming doesn’t help, and for an instant he feels totally, painfully hollow. He wants to snap at Tony, to tell him to hurry up, but Tony is doing him a big favor, and he wouldn’t be that impolite to him anyway. He’d been awfully demanding with his own mate, which his alpha had found to be endearing instead of aggravating, but that was a hundred years and a thousand miles away. And for a moment, Steve felt every one of them.

                Tony, meanwhile, is struggling into some kind of new-fangled contraption that Steve doesn’t even pretend to understand. It’s a small circlet that wraps around the base of Tony’s cock, with straps wrapping around Tony’s middle and each thigh to keep it in place.

                “What’s that thing?” Steve asks warily, because technology is nice but he’s not sure he wants to experience it up-close-and-personal like this.

                “High-tech cock ring,” Tony replies, and gives Steve a smug smile. “I’m amazing, but I doubt there’s any way I could keep up with your stamina.”

                “Oh,” Steve says, because that makes sense, especially since Tony is an omega. Alphas won’t climax until they knot during a heat, but omegas can have hundreds of smaller orgasms in that time.

                “Do you want to present for me?” Tony asks, and it’s an actual question. Some omegas like to take it in a traditional pose, on their knees, presenting their ass so their alpha can take them from behind. Some like it better on their back, so they can see their alpha’s face. Tony doesn’t have a preference when he’s topping, but he hates being on his knees when he’s taking it. Tony’s not sure if Steve is aware enough to have an opinion, but he thinks he should still give him the option.

                Surprisingly, Steve is lucid enough to get to his knees. Tony moans at the sight of long, tan legs, parted to reveal testicles dusted with golden hair and a soft, pink opening to Steve’s gorgeous, sculpted ass.

                “Is this okay?” Steve asks hesitantly, casting a glance over his shoulder at Tony.

                “Yeah, I… Uh… Damn.”

                Steve chuckles. “Didn’t think you’d be one with performance issues, Stark.”

                “Didn’t think I’d be held up to these standards, Cap.”

                Steve chuckles again, but it’s interrupted by another wave of lust, and he moans and cringes. Tony runs his hand along Steve’s flank, brushes his thumb over Steve’s pucker and watches the super soldier shiver.

                “I’m so ready,” Steve moans. “Don’t tease!”

                “Sorry. It’s second nature,” Tony admits with a self-depreciating smile. Steve moans again, and Tony lines up his cock with Steve’s entrance. When the head touches Steve’s rim, Steve thrusts himself backwards, engulfing Tony’s cock in one powerful move. Tony curses and grips Steve’s hips, holding him still. “You know, if you get hurt during this heat, I’m pretty sure I get labeled a terrorist. I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t do that.”

                “Sorry,” Steve whines, “Just couldn’t wait any more,” he admits, and he’s already rocking against Tony’s pelvis, trying to get Tony to move. Tony gives a put-upon sigh and pulls back until just the head of his cock is still buried in Steve’s ass, then slowly sinks back in. Steve makes a noise that is half moan, half snarl, and pushes into the thrust.

                And they fall into it, rutting like animals, with Steve groaning and snarling and thrusting back against Tony, and Tony lets him go, lets him take what he wants. It’s good, even though the cockring is holding Tony back from orgasm, and Tony meets Steve’s bucks with equally enthusiastic thrusts.

                “I’ve missed you fucking me like this,” Steve moans at one point, and Tony almost misses it. It gives him pause, but then Steve is arching up, and the pleasure is so intense that Tony moans and forgets about the comment.

                But it’s not the last.

                “Please, Buck, it’s so good.”

“I’ve missed you so much.”

“I love it when you fill me up, Bucky.”

                Steve keeps going like that. It’s like his mouth and his orgasm are connected, and he hisses and moans and calls out to his alpha to breed him in all the dirtiest ways. Normally, Tony would be thrilled at hearing Captain America sound so dirty. But after several minutes of loud and repeated appeals to “Bucky,” Tony grows concerned.

                And Tony doesn’t mind being called the wrong name, he really doesn’t. But he’s starting to become concerned that Steve really does think that he’s “Bucky.” And he can’t help feeling like he’s taking advantage of Steve if he really thinks that someone else is fucking him.

                “Steve,” he calls, his voice firm and his hips still. “Look at me.”

                Steve turns, his eyes fever-bright and his face flushed.

                “Wassa matter?” he slurs, and then shivers and thrusts back against Tony involuntarily.

                “What’s my name?” Tony asks sternly.

                “What?”

                “Say my name.”

                “’S Tony. Anthony Stark,” Steve answers, although his words are still pretty slurred.

                “Do you know who I am, where you are?”

                “Yeah, I… Tony, what’s this about?”

                “You’ve been calling me Bucky for the last ten minutes.”

                And that makes Steve still, and then blush.

                “Oh.”

                “Oh?”

                “Sorry. I guess the fantasy got away from me. I won’t say anything else,” Steve promises, and that isn’t what Tony wants at all.

                “Bucky… was your mate?” Tony asks, because even though there’s no record of Captain America having a mate, that doesn’t mean Steve Rogers didn’t have one.

                “Yeah. Yeah, he… He died. Before I was frozen.”

                “Damn,” Tony curses, and now he feels like an ass, because these are not the memories he meant to stir up for Steve. “Listen, I don’t mind if you fantasize. I know I’m not your ideal partner for this.” Steve starts to protest, but Tony cuts him off. “This isn’t how anybody would want this to go, Cap. What I’m saying is that you go ahead and have you fantasy. I’ll even help. What’d he call you?” Steve hesitates, so Tony thrusts his hips again, making Steve moan. “Did you call you baby? Maybe sugar? Honey?”

                “Punk,” Steve admits with a gasp of pleasure, “He called me punk, and I called him jerk.”

                “Endearments after my own heart,” Tony says, and he’s grinning, because he can just imagine the alpha that would call Steve a punk. His heart hurts for Steve, knowing what he’s lost. But he can’t dwell on that, not when Steve needs him. “You ready for this, punk? Ready for me to breed you?”

                “Please,” Steve says, and Tony thinks maybe he avoids saying a name out of courtesy, but he seems to have sank back into his fantasy easily enough, bucking his hips wantonly. “Don’t tease me! Just fuck me already!”

                It’s a plea that Tony takes seriously. He begins pounding Steve in earnest, feeling the catch of the cockring as it slips in and out of Steve’s hole, feeling the way Steve’s body tenses around his cock. When he sees Steve’s hand reaching for his own cock, he knows Steve is close. He isn’t surprised when Steve screams as the orgasm rips its way through his body. Tony hits a button on his belt and the cockring releases, letting him climax along with Steve. He shoves his cock deep into the omega beneath him and rides out the waves of pleasure as Steve’s body milks his member.

                And when his orgasm is almost over, he feels the cockring tighten again, keeping him hard, and he feels a hum as the cockring begins to inflate, mimicking a real alpha’s knot.

                It’s a Stark patented product. State of the art. Not even released to the public yet. It’s based on the same design as the strap-on that Pepper uses to fuck him during his heats, so he knows just how it feels. Pepper likes to tell him that he’s a fucking genius now. He lets it go straight to his ego. Or his cock. Same difference, really.

                “You tying me, Buck?” Steve asks, his words sleepy and slurred with post-orgasmic-bliss. His body has sagged bonelessly against the nest, and the can only must the energy to lift his head a few inches.

                “Yeah, punk,” Tony says, and tries to keep his voice as deep and alpha as he can.

                “Jerk,” Steve says with a chuckle. “Maybe I had stuff to do today.”

                “Nothing more important than this,” Tony argues, because that’s how he thinks Bucky would be. Not that he knows anything about the guy. But anyone who calls Steve a “punk” and doesn’t give a shit that their omega looks like an alpha and fights Nazis… well, that guy has to have some balls and a sense of humor.

                “It’s so tight, Buck. Is it always like this?”

                “Yeah, baby, it’s always this big,” Tony assures him. He’s been on the omega end of this device more than once. It’s programmed to respond to a certain tension in the body, to create the perfect amount of pressure every time. But riding the waves of an orgasm and out of your head on hormones, that amount of pressure is generally unnerving. And somehow, Tony knows, you only ever remember the orgasm.

                “Hurts,” Steve whines, forgetting that it always hurts, the way it presses against the over-sensitized nerve endings.

                “You can take it, punk. You’ve taken it before,” he assures. Tony knows his tech is good. He wouldn’t use it if he had any doubts. But Steve’s body is more than over-sensitized. With the alpha –hormones pumping through him, every nerve is on edge. The ache that is part pain, part stretch, pulls him out of his stupor.

                “Tony?” he whispers, and there’s a thread of panic in his voice and he’s trying to push himself up. “It’s too much…”

                “It’s not,” Tony sooths, stroking his hand down Steve’s side. “It’s almost done,” he assures. He can feel the hum around his cock tapering off. It’s a sign that the ring has reached its full dilation. As it stops, Tony pulls Steve flush against his chest and takes them both to their sides. Steve goes boneless again, and Tony gives in to the temptation to nuzzle Steve’s neck. Steve sighs in pleasure, huffs out his mate’s name, and nuzzles back. It’s heart wrenching, and Tony makes himself pull back. If Steve were his lover, he kiss and nuzzle every part of him. But Tony knows that he’s just a stand-in. And, as tempting as it is, he’s not sure he wants to be more.

                Tony’s hand reaches for Steve’s cock, and he strokes the omega off twice more before the ring deflates and lets his flaccid cock slip free from Steve’s body. It’s only been half an hour, and a normal alpha can knot for up to an hour when their omega is in heat, but Tony is an omega. Keeping his cock hard for much longer could risk damaging it, and he’s not willing to do that.

                Steve whines as Tony’s cock slips free, but Tony has a box of sex toys beside the bed, and he quickly snags an electric blue knotting dildo and lubes it, then slips it into Steve’s waiting hole. It isn’t as large as Tony’s artificial knot, and Tony sees the edges of Steve’s pucker quiver as it slips inside, but Steve relaxes after it settles. Tony rouses him enough to pour some water down his throat, getting more of it on the bed than in him as Steve glares petulantly and then immediately falls back asleep. Tony chuckles and curls up around him, knowing that Steve will be up again in an hour or so, demanding an orgasm.

                They fuck twice more. Tony would like to do more, but he knows he’ll need his stamina to keep up with Steve. Steve rides him once, and another Tony takes him face-to-face, with Steve writhing beneath him and calling for Bucky. Tony doesn’t take it personally. At one point, while they’re having sex, Steve reaches up to stroke Tony’s chest and his hand brushes against the arch reactor. He looks panicked, for a moment, until his eyes find Tony’s face and he remembers where he is and who’s taking him. He smiles softly, shyly, and Tony doesn’t slow down. In another minute, he’s washed away by the memories again.

                When Tony can’t get it up (which, unfortunately, is the majority of the time) he fucks Steve with a knotting dildo. He’s particularly skilled with it, being an omega himself. Steve certainly doesn’t complain. Tony starts with a dildo that’s average in size, and while he has a few in the box that would be considered monsters, Steve gets the most vocal when he uses one that’s just a bit large. Tony fucks him with the length of it at first. An alpha doesn’t knot until after an omega has started orgasming, so Tony uses the slim part until Steve is just on the brink, then pushes the knot inside and listens to Steve howl. He finds that Steve enjoys it more when he pops the knot out a few times, forcing Steve’s rim to expand and contract around it. When he comes, Tony twists the knot, just a little, and it keeps Steve orgasming for minutes. Tony loses track of how many times Steve comes.

                He has the hardest time getting Steve to drink. Steve doesn’t want to rouse for anything, and he seems particularly offended by Tony’s crisp, imported bottled water. It’s halfway through the night before Tony realizes that Steve doesn’t like the water chilled, and by then it’s too late to take the bottles out of the mini-fridge and he has to resort to getting tepid water out of the tap in the in-suite bathroom. Steve practically drowns himself in it, though, so Tony figures that it’s probably worth the indignity of having to fetch a cup in his underwear, sweaty and covered in heat-scent. He’s done worse for lesser reasons.

                Tony falls asleep in the wee hours of the morning. By the time Steve’s demands have dwindled to sleepy humping, and Tony figures that he’s most of the way through. Between the alpha hormones and the super-serum, Tony isn’t surprised that Steve has managed his heat so quickly, but he is thankful. Tony was probably only a few hours from needing to call for tag-team reinforcements.

                By the time Tony wakes up, crusty and feeling hungover, Steve is just getting out of the shower.

                “Not staying for breakfast? I thought we’d have cuddles,” Tony says, blearily wiping the sleep from his eyes. Steve chuckles. He’s toweling his hair off, and there’s another towel wrapped around his waist. Tony carefully pulls one of the sheets to cover him as he sits up. Last night, while Steve was in heat, everything flowed naturally. Now, in the stark light of day, it’s as awkward as Tony had anticipated.

                “Thanks,” Steve says, and he digs around through the sheets on the floor, toeing his way past the various sex paraphernalia (Tony brought a box of knotting dildos. Rather than find them after they’d used them and tossed them to the floor, and to save himself the bother of cleaning them, he’d just grab another. There were at least a dozen scattered around. Steve thinks it would probably make him blush, if he’d had the energy left to manage it.) He finds the robe he’d used last night and puts it on. “I’m kind of tired, though. I thought I’d head down to my room and sleep it off.”

                “You need anything?” Tony asks, yawning. He stretches, feels the ache in his arms and his wrists, and then flops back against the pillows. Because, fuck it. It’s not like he has anything better to do, especially if Steve is determined to run off and play tough.

                “No, I’m good. I… Thank you. I appreciate what you did for me. But, right now, I’d really just like to get back to my apartment and sleep until I feel normal again.”

                And Tony’s all ready to fire back some offhanded comment, but at the last moment, his eyes catch the way Steve’s shoulder slump in his robe, the way his mouth is twisted just down at the edges, and the way his eyes still look just the smallest bit haunted. And all he can think about is how alone Steve must feel, a hundred years and a thousand miles from all his friends and family.

                “Listen, Steve, you’re a nice guy, you know that?” Tony finds coming out of his mouth. “I know you don’t have an alpha right now, and I don’t know how Pep would feel about it, but you and I get along pretty well. Maybe, as a temporary thing, until you find somebody, the three of us could…”

                “No!” Steve says, and it’s a little hasty and he looks a bit panicked. He tries to cover it with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I really am grateful for what you’ve done for me. And Pepper is a swell dame, I’m sure she’s a great alpha. But, no thank you. I know… I know it seems like I should have had enough time to get over my alp… Over Bucky. It’s been years here, but for me it’s only been a couple of months and… And I just want to miss him.”

                And that’s… probably more mature than Tony is capable of, so he just nods. Steve gives a soft smile, and moves toward the door. Tony doesn’t feel like he can let Steve leave with that sad expression on his face (Steve’s just come out of his heat, and Tony’s got a reputation to uphold) so he says, “Hey, that’s it? No good-bye kiss? No pat on the back?” It makes Steve’s expression sour, but at least he isn’t wearing that soulful look anymore.

                “I’m grateful, but not that grateful,” Steve huffs.

                “Seriously, there’s no reason to go all the way down to your room. We can be just a pair of omegas chilling out after a rough heat. No pressure,” Tony wheedles. He knows how important it is to have company directly after the heat, to know afterwards that you’re still cared for, that someone is still there for you. He gives Steve his best puppy-eyes and hopes he won’t have to follow the other omega down to his room and curl up beside his bed. He’d really prefer that Steve curl back up in the bed. The Tony can sleep until he can order lunch from that posh place down the street. Tony turns up the pleading, and it’s impossible for Steve to resist.

                Steve sits on the bed hesitantly, then slowly lowers himself down. It’s awkward. He’s painfully aware that Tony is naked and right beside him. But he’s actually exhausted, and the idea of trudging all the way to his room and curling up in the cold bed is pretty depressing. After a few minutes, the exhaustion gets to him, and he relaxes. He’s about to fall back asleep – maybe catch a few more hours of sleep before lunch. He’s pretty sure Tony will order in – when Tony turns to him.

                “Hey, Steve, you know if this ever happens again, you can come to me, right?” Tony says, and maybe he’s just tired, but he sounds sleepy and serious at the same time. “I’m the omega for the job.”

                Steve laughs.

                “No alphas need apply, huh? I’ll keep that in mind.”


End file.
